Filing-cabinet.



S. E. BARGREEN.

. FILING CABINET. 'APFUCATION FILED SEPT. I. 1914.

Patented May 23, 1916.

Wi m e aae/s LUMBIA PMNOGRAPH c0 WASHINGTON, D. c.

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SAMUEL E. BARGREEN, 0F EVERETT, WASHINGTON.

FILING-CABINET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 23, 1916.

Application filed September 1, 1914. Serial No. 859,595.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, SAMUEL E. BARGREEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Everett, in the county of Snohomish, State oflVashington, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Filing-Cabinets, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to filing cabinets and is particularly designed for uses in which it is desirable to maintain a record sheet with each filing element, indicative of the contents or condition of the contents contained therein. A typical use is to preserve and keep track of a large number of merchandise accounts.

The object of my invention is to improve upon the simplicity, convenience, and compactness of such devices, and otherwise improve the same.

My invention comprises the parts and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims terminating this specification.

In the accompanying drawings 1 have shown my invention embodied in the form which is now preferred by me.

Figure 1 shows one of the filing boxes or drawers drawn out and placed in position for referring to its index or' account sheet. Fig. 2 is a front view of a cabinet which consists of eight cells. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a portion of such a cabinet, one cell having a filing box therein while the others are empty. Fig. 4 is a side view, partly in section, of the upper part of a filing box and the adjacent walls of the case. Fig. 5 is a detail showing on a large scale the shape of the pivot end of the slot and the relation of the pivot pin thereto. Fig. 6 is a view of side wall 21 showing openings 21 Mydevice is particularly adapted for use in keeping track of the condition of a large number of accounts, particularly if they are subject to frequent change. I have, therefore, illustrated and will describe it as if it were used in connection with a mercantile business. Its adaptation to other uses it is believed will be evident.

The cabinet comprises a holding case and a series of filing boxes. The holding case is of cellular structure, consisting of horizontal partitions or walls, 11, vertical partitions or walls, 1, and a back 10. While doors or other means for closing the front may be employed, this is not essential and nothing of the sort is shown. The horizontal walls 11 project to the front beyond the front edge faces of the vertical walls 1, for a purpose which will later appear.

One of the filing boxes used is shown in perspective in Fig. 1. This comprises a bottom 2, a side wall 21, a back wall 20, top 22 and a front or outer face wall 23. One side is open, as is, preferably, part of the top, the top 22 being of only part the width of the box. The front wall is connected by hinges 3 at its lower edge, so that it may swing down to horizontal position. It is supported in this position by a link 5, which is preferably a wire having a flexible or hinged connection to the part 23 and slides through a hole in a bracket 51, mounted on the back. This end of the link 5 is enlarged or bent so that it cannot pull through the hole in the bracket.

A catch 6, of any suitable construction, carried by the swinging end of the outer end wall 23, engages a catch bar 61 on the under side of the top 22 to hold the end wall in upper or closed position. The end of the bar 61 is bent at such an angle that a sufliciently hard pull upon the front will free it, although it will hold it up under ordinary conditions. A handle 4 is secured to the face wall 23 near its hinged end. The catch 6 will not be freed by pulling out the box unless this is done in such a way as to bring most of the strain on the upper end of wall 23.

Pivot pins 7 project upwardly and downwardly from the top and bottom of the Hi.- ing boxes, as near as feasible to the inner or rear corners at one side of the box, being that side which is opposite the open side of the box. The horizontal partitions 11 have grooves 12 which extend from front to rear in position to receive the pins 7 and to permit sliding the filing boxes between their extreme inner position to one where their inner end is approximately flush with the outer face edges of the vertical partitions 1. The grooves 12 thus extend forward a little beyond the front edges of partitions 1, as shown in Fig. 3.

At'their front ends grooves 12 are provided with a slight lateral recess, 13, as shown in Fig. 5, into which the pivot pins 7 may drop. When a filing box is pulled out until pins 7 are stopped by the end of slot 12, the box may then be swung upon these pivots to bring its side face, which is open, to face outwardly, or into the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3. In this position it is conveniently placed for examining or working upon its contents. To permit the filing boxes swinging so that they parallel the front face of the cabinet, the side walls 21, which formthe back walls when swung into the position given, are provided with openings 21 into which the handle of the box alongside may enter. \Vith the handles placed low, they will enter the space beneath the real-most of the plates 9. This low position of the handles also puts most of the strain of withdrawing the box upon the hinged end of the face 23 and but little upon the spring catch 6. The front 23 is designed to have a sheet of paper secured to its inner surface to serve as an index sheet for the accounts filed in that box.

The filing arrangements contained in the box may be anything desired and deemed suitable. These will vary with individual preferences and the character of the work. Those illustrated are a stock construction and consist of a series of stiff leaves or plates 9 having clips 90 on their faces adapted for holding bills or like record slips 91. These leaves or plates are hinged at their lower edges to fold down. The outer plate usually has no clips on its outer surface, but the others are provided with clips on each surface, except the rear surface of the last plate. A chain 92 supports them when turned down.

\Vhen a box is drawn out and its front folded down, as it is shown in Fig. 1, the plates 9 may be run over to examine any account or to index same upon the index sheet 8. If it be' desired only to examine this index sheet, it is not necessary to pull the box out. The front may be swung down so as to bring this sheet into view. When in the position shown in Fig. 1, the front 23 is supported by link 5 and the projecting edge of wall 11 and forms a convenient writing surface. The whole forms a small desk and filing cabinet. By one system of using this device, the duplicates 91 of the sale slips are filed under the clips 90, one account only .being kept under each clip. These accounts may be arranged alphabetically, both in a particular box and as between the respective boxes or according to locality, as desired. With such indications upon the outside of the boxes of the range of accounts contained in each box the right box may be readily picked out, and the position in the box could be indicated by numbers or characters associated with the names on the index sheet or grooves extending forward of thefront edges of the vertical walls of the cells and terminating in a lateral recess, a filing box fitting and sliding in each cell, the outer end wall of said box being hinged at its lower edge to swing downward, asliding stay connectingsaid endwall with the side to limit the swinging movement to said end wall, and a spring catch yieldingly holding said end wall in closed position, each box having pivot and guide pins projecting perpendicularly from top and bottom inner corners thereof and engaging'with grooves in the cells. 7 v

2. A filing cabinet comprising a cellular holding case, the front edges of the vertical walls of said case being recessed back from the front edges of its horizontal walls, the top and bottom walls of eachcell having a guide groove extending from front to rear and located near a side wall, the front ends of said grooves extending forward of the front edges of the vertical walls of the cells and terminating in a lateral recess, a filing box fitting and sliding in each cell,the outer end wall of said box being hinged at its lower edge to swing downward, a sliding stay connecting said end wall with the side to support it in horizontal position, the boxes each having pivot and guide pins projecting perpendicularly from top and bottom inner corners thereof and engaging with the grooves in the cells, and an inclined floor above the base of the box to support the 7 accounts in an inclined position.

SAMUEL E. BARGREEN.

WVitnesses:

SCHUYLER DURYEE, ANDREW ENGESET.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

